Pope Francis called on bishops, priests, and the religious in the country to “become poor” themselves and to combat inequalities that have become embedded in Philippine society.
In his homily before representatives of the Catholic community, Pope Francis said: “[The] Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ. The Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good.”
He said taking the poor away from the gospel is “not understanding the message of Jesus Christ.”
He said becoming ambassadors for the Church is to “reject worldly perspectives” and to “acknowledge our failings and sins and embrace the path of constant conversion.”
“The great danger to this, of course, is a certain materialism which can creep into our lives and compromise the witness we offer. Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we be able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters,” he said.
He specifically asked young priests, religious to make the church a Church of hope to those trapped in injustice and on the brink of giving up.
CONFUSING PRESENTATIONS
In a political statement that could spur debates in the coming days, however, he also told the young to “proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family.”
“As you know, these realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture,” he said.
The Mass at the Manila Cathedral was the first Eucharistic celebration in his five-day visit.
A total of 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious met with Pope Francis at the Manila Cathedral, tagged as the country’s premiere basilica.
Manila Cathedral rector Rev. Monsignor Nestor Cerbo said it is the basilica of popes, with previous visiting popes holding masses there.
“It’s actually not the first, but it became a basilica in a special way through Pope John Paul II in 1981. He told then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, ‘I will make this a basilica,’” Cerbo said.
Pope Francis started his homily with: “Do you love me?”
Before he could continue, those present made a resounding “yes”.
Chuckling, the pope thanked them and said he was only quoting the Bible
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